The war of the (not so) holy waters in Jerusalem

The war of the (not so) holy waters in Jerusalem

By Press Office

November 19, 2012

International lawyer and ecumenical consultant Dr Harry Hagopian, who is a valued Ekklesia associate and Middle East expert, has been interviewed by Civil TV about the latest challenges presented by the privately owned water company in Israel against the Church of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, which is under the care of three Christian traditions.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also called the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, or the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, lies within the Christian Quarter of the walled Old City of Jerusalem. It is a few steps away from the Muristan.

The Church is jointly managed by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Armenian Orthodox Patriarch and the Catholic Church.

The current contention -- revolving a huge and surprising utility bill -- may sound like a small 'domestic dispute', but actually involves some rather potent elements in complex collision: namely Jerusalem, a conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, water, and the actions of a privatised company.

Formerly an Executive Secretary of the Jerusalem Inter-Church Committee and Executive Director of the Middle East Council of Churches, Dr Harry Hagopian is now an international fellow, Sorbonne III University, Paris, consultant to the Campaign for Recognition of the Armenian Genocide (UK), Ecumenical consultant to the Primate of Armenian Church in UK & Ireland, and author of The Armenian Church in the Holy Land. Dr Hagopian’s own website is www.epektasis.net[1] Follow him on Twitter here: ?@harryhagopian

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